National Register of Historic Places

First Territorial Capitol

Junction City, Geary County, Kansas
Listed
December 1, 1970
Type
Building
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
70000249

About this property

The First Territorial Capitol of Kansas (officially named First Territorial Capitol State Historic Site) is the sole remaining building of the ghost town of Pawnee, Kansas. The city served as the capital of the Kansas Territory for five days before it was moved to Shawnee Mission and then present day Lecompton, Kansas, and the town became part of neighboring Fort Riley. The building was the meeting place for the first elected Territorial Legislature in 1855. After falling into disrepair, the structure was restored in 1928 and today it serves as a history museum operated by the Kansas Historical Society and supported through The Partners of the First Territorial Capitol.

Location

Junction City, Geary County, Kansas
39.08476, -96.76189

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Main Post Area, Fort Riley
Early Republic
1.5 mi
Conroe Bridge
Listed
3 mi
Dixon, James, House
Industrial
5 mi
Junction City Downtown Historic District
Listed
5.2 mi
Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Memorial Arch
Industrial
5.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was First Territorial Capitol listed on the National Register?

First Territorial Capitol was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 1, 1970.

What type of historic resource is First Territorial Capitol?

First Territorial Capitol is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for First Territorial Capitol?

The period of significance for First Territorial Capitol is recorded as the early_republic era.

Can I research the history near First Territorial Capitol?

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